Show ContentsEpp History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Bavaria, Germany is the ancestral home of the Epp family. The Epp surname evolved as a local name. It is a name for a family that lived in Bavaria, where they became known from the early Middle Ages as an important family within the social and cultural life of the community.

Early Origins of the Epp family

The surname Epp was first found in Bavaria, where the family held a family seat in the Middle Ages. Individual bearers of the name first mentioned in ancient chronicles include Eberhart and Friedericus of Ebs in Bavaria in 1190, Albertus (Appelinus) dictus Eppelin in Heilbronn in 1283, Rudel Eppfeler in Glatz in 1367, Nicholous Eppler in Iglau in 1390.

Early History of the Epp family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Epp research. Another 319 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1290, 1295, 1434, 1515, 1586, 1598, 1717 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Epp History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Epp Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Epp include Epple, Eppler, Epler, Eppel, Eppell, Eppli, Epp, Eppo, Eppe, Eppard, Eppele, Eppelin, Eppeler, Eppfeler, Eppelen, Epplen, Eppan, Eppaner, Epplan, Eplan, Epling, Eppling, Eps, Epps, Ebs, Ebbs, Eppes, Epes, Eppley and many more.

Early Notables of the Epp family

Prominent among members of the name Epp in this period include

  • Joseph Franz Xaver Epplen, who a Privy Councilor to the court of Thuern and Taxis in Regensburg and to the sons of his deceased brother

Epp Ranking

In the United States, the name Epp is the 10,362nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Epp migration to the United States +

Thousands of German settlers came to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. The hardships of the long voyage were balanced by the opportunity to escape poverty and religious persecution. The descendents of these settlers still populate the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also live in Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Epp or a variant listed above:

Epp Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Peter Epp, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1869 2
  • Hyacinth Epp, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1873 2
  • Henry Epp, aged 16, who arrived in Nebraska in 1874 2
  • Hrch Epp, aged 23, who landed in New York, NY in 1874 2
  • Johann Epp, aged 6, who landed in Nebraska in 1874 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Epp migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Epp Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Cornelius Epp, who arrived in Manitoba in 1875
  • David Epp, aged 11, who arrived in Quebec in 1893
  • Frank Epp, aged 40, who landed in Quebec in 1893
  • Gergard Epp, aged 28, who landed in Quebec in 1893
  • Heinrich Epp, aged 9, who landed in Quebec in 1893
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Epp (post 1700) +

  • Theodore Epp (1907-1985), American Christian clergyman, writer and radio evangelist, founding director of the Back to the Bible radio broadcast
  • Susanna S. Epp (b. 1943), American mathematician
  • Robert Epp (b. 1926), American translator of Japanese literature into English
  • Phil Epp (b. 1946), American artist from Henderson, Nebraska
  • Franz Ritter von Epp (1868-1946), born Franz Epp, German officer, Reichsstatthalter of Bavaria (1933-1945), Reichskommissar of Bavaria in 1933
  • Elisabeth Epp (1910-2000), German actress who appeared in more than twenty films from 1949 to 1992
  • Richard Epp, Canadian physicist and lecturer at the University of Waterloo
  • Richard Epp (b. 1948), Canadian playwright and actor, born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
  • Reuben Epp (1920-2009), Canadian author of works in Mennonite Low German
  • Leon Epp (1905-1968), Austrian music director, theatre director and actor
  • ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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